‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ ‘The Fault In Our Stars’: Review Revue

This week at the multiplex, we’ve got a time-looping soldier (“Edge of Tomorrow,” starring starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt) and literate teens in love (“The Fault In Our Stars,” starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort). Find out what the critics have to say on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Edge of Tomorrow”

On paper, a high-concept blend of “Groundhog Day” and “Starship Troopers” sounds like a recipe for disaster. In practice, critics say “Edge of Tomorrow” is a thoroughly entertaining sci-fi action flick with a sharp sense of humor and muscular acting from Tom Cruise. With the planet under attack from alien invaders, Major William Cage (Cruise) is sent into battle — and killed instantly. However, he finds himself in a time loop, reliving the same battle scenario and gradually discovering how to defeat the enemy. “Edge of Tomorrow” is currently Certified Fresh at 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer; check out some of the reviews here:

Fresh: “A Tom Cruise action flick with a strong female heroine and a sense of humor? ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ has both of those, plus a ‘Groundhog Day’-style gimmick that pays big dividends. Over and over.” — Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Fresh: “Among countless sequels and remakes, the high-concept ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ is the right kind of a rerun.” — Jake Coyle, Associated Press

Rotten: “Although the humor helps, the ‘Groundhog Day’-like repetition gets tedious; it makes you feel more like a hamster than a groundhog — or rather a hamster’s wheel, going round and round, over and over again.” — Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

“The Fault In Our Stars”

When a beloved bestseller is adapted to the big screen, there’s inevitably some trepidation within the book’s fan base. After all, doesn’t Hollywood always screw up what made the book so special? Thankfully, critics say “The Fault In Our Stars” does John Green’s novel proud, thanks to a fine performance by Shailene Woodley and a script that that (mostly) avoids cliches on the way to its heart-tugging conclusion. Woodley stars as Hazel, a tough-minded teenager with thyroid cancer who reluctantly joins a cancer support group. There, she meets a sweet cancer survivor named Gus (Ansel Elgort), and the two bond over a love of literature. “The Fault In Our Stars” is Certified Fresh at 81 percent on the Tomatometer; here are some of the reviews:

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